Masala paratha recipe, an Indian flat bread made with whole wheat flour, desi ghee, Indian spice powders and herbs like coriander and mint
Masala paratha is spiced Indian paratha where the normal everyday plain paratha is given a make over with a medley of Indian spices, herbs and desi ghee or clarified butter. A special yet easy masala paratha recipe that you can make with absolutely no preparation work. It is not heavy like aloo paratha but is light and extremely flavorful.
My favorite paratha varieties are aloo paratha paneer paratha and masala paratha. The flavor is all in the paratha masala powder which is a eclectic mix of aromatic Indian spices and herbs that include fennel seeds, coriander, cumin, fresh coriander and mint and desi ghee. You can add any spice of your choice based on what you have on hand. You can crushed roasted peanuts or roasted sesame seeds for a bit of crunch and flavor.
There are two methods to follow while making masala paratha recipe. One method involves mixing all the spice powders in melted ghee and spreading this paste over the flat round paratha dough, rolling the paratha and shaping into a coil and finally rolled into a flat round paratha. The other method is to spread a layer of ghee over the rolled paratha dough, sprinkle the spice mix and herbs. Both these methods work equally fine.
In the morning rush to get your kids lunch box ready and have run out of ideas, masala paratha comes to your rescue. It makes for a perfect lunch box paratha recipe like the masala oats paratha that I have blogged earlier. If your child likes cheese, grate some cheese over the spice powders and you have a chess masala paratha on hand. Another variation is adding dried fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi making it a masala methi paratha. There are numerous spice powders that you can use like flax seeds podi to dress up your paratha. To savor the true flavor of masala paratha, you must use a generous amount of desi ghee, in the filling as well as while roasting on the tawa.
Masala paratha makes for an excellent breakfast or brunch option too. This paratha is so flavorful that you can eat it without any side dish or with yogurt or raita. I like to savor it with a bowl of yogurt making it a flavorful, filling meal.
If I prepare North Indian food for my guests, I’d like to serve masala paratha instead of the plain paratha along with a dal dish, aloo sabzi or paneer curry. A few weeks ago, for our New Year lunch, I had prepared a North Indian thali meal comprising of masala paratha, pahari aloo gutke, khoya matar paneer, urad dal, boondi raita, tawa pulao, chawal, papad cone and the desserts were carrot kheer and besan ladoo. You can also serve masala paratha with side dishes like aloo matar sabzi and shahi paneer.
Learn how to make masala paratha